Whiplash

Whiplash Compensation Claim

Have been in a car crash that was not your fault and suffered whiplash? Camps Solicitors can help you claim whiplash compensation.

Our personal injury solicitors have one of the highest success rates in the country for accident compensation claims. To start your claim for whiplash compensation call our Freephone number 0800 092 8586 and speak to one of our specialist personal injury solicitors for expert advice.

Claiming Whiplash Compensation

Whiplash can be caused by any rapid forwards or backwards "jerking" movement to the head and neck. The ligaments in the neck are stretched and torn by this sudden movement, resulting in damage along the spine between the top of the neck and the lower back. Whiplash injuries can be caused by any sudden movements of the head and neck such as on a roller coaster, whilst playing sports, or in car accidents, particularly those involving rear end collisions.

According to research from the UK, in some cases the symptoms of WAD (including neck and chest pain, stiffness and reduced movement in neck and back) can persist beyond six months after the accident and permanent symptoms are possible. Whiplash is the most common injury in low velocity impacts, where one vehicle is travelling from 1 to 25 miles per hour, the most frequently occurring type of collision on urban and inner city roads where traffic is slow moving.

Further research conducted in the United States has shown that impacts of as little as 4-8 kph (3-5 miles per hour) can give rise to significant muscular and neck-related injuries. In fact, the risk of a whiplash compensation claim type injury during a low speed collision can be greater than in a higher speed collision (above 40 miles per hour).

Injuries leading to whiplash claims

The reduced physical damage to cars in a low speed collision actually means more of the force of the collision is transferred to the occupants of the car, rather than to "crumple zones" present in the front and rear of modern cars, that are designed to absorb the energy of high speed crashes. Modern car seat design may have contributed to the increase in the numbers of motorists reporting whiplash type symptoms following a car accident. New less flexible seats designed to protect motorists from high speed impacts can cause more damage at low speeds as they absorb less of the energy of a car crash, transferring more to the victim's body.

Occupants in low speed collisions are at particular risk from the increased G forces involved during the rapid acceleration caused by another vehicle striking their own. It is these G-forces that can lead to whiplash claim type injuries. The head and neck are the last parts of the body to move in an accident and as a result can experience G forces many times more than the rest of the car (up to 7 or 8G, which is the same as that experienced in military jet aircraft).

The sudden "jerk" of the head and neck during low velocity collisions is when the majority of injuries will occur. The more relaxed the muscles in the neck, the greater the potential damage, tensed muscles (when the head is turned) result in much lower damage. When occupants are staring straight ahead, rear-end collisions will have an increased chance of resulting in personal injury as the force of the impact will be from directly behind the victim.

If you have been involved in a car accident where you suffered a whiplash compensation claim type injury through no fault of your own, then Camps Solicitors could be in a position to help you make a claim for accident compensation. Call our Freephone number on 0800 092 8586.